RAJSHAHI, April 30, 2020 (BSS) – The government has distributed food assistance to more than 11.25 lakh jobless and other hand-to-mouth families to ensure their food security in all eight districts of Rajshahi division amid coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
“We have distributed 12,111.68 tonnes of rice among the families in need as a part of the government’s instant humanitarian support till 8 am today,” said Humayun Kabir Khandaker, Commissioner of Rajshahi division, adding that each of the beneficiary families got ten kilograms of rice.
Besides, Taka 6.69 crore in cash was also distributed among 6,10,054 families in the division. Apart from, 1,471.47 tonnes of rice and over Taka 87.85 lakh in cash are in stock at present for distribution.
He said all the district and upazila administrations in close-coordination with the local government institutions are distributing the rice.
Another, 7,73,026 poor and extreme poor households were given 24,000 tonnes of rice under the government’s “Food Friendly Programme” last month. Equal numbers of families are also getting the same quantity of rice in the current month.
Besides, 4,500 tonnes of rice is being distributed among the families in need under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) Programme. Each of 1.5 lakh beneficiary families is getting 30 kilograms of rice every month free of cost.
Humayun Kabir said various other local government bodies and non-government entities are disbursing foodstuffs among the distressed families everywhere in the division daily to cope with the present troubled situation.
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has disbursed 60,000 kilograms of rice among 9,172 members of 33 professional bodies in Rajshahi city to tackle the present adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the last two days.
RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said another 21,000 jobless and other low-income families were brought under the emergency food support in the city areas to minimize their hardship as a gift of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently.
Each of the beneficiary families was given 10 kilograms of rice at their respective doorstep as the government had allocated 210 tonnes of rice.
The city corporation also dispensed another 123 tonnes of rice among 12,300 hand-to-mouth families in the city from the government allocation earlier.
Apart from this, RCC has provided foodstuffs to around 45,000 daily families in need in two phases to cope with the present troubled situation.
On the other hand, 38,261 personal protective equipment (PPE) were distributed among the frontline healthcare workforces to handle the COVID-19 pandemic through protecting them from the virus infection in the division. There are 24,830 more PPEs in stock for distribution.
A total of 808 doctors and 1,512 nurses are working in 172 public and private hospitals in the division. Around 1,888 beds, out of total 4,149, were already prepared for treatment of the possible COVID-19 infected patients.
There are arrangements of 220 beds in isolation units here and 17 ambulances for the purpose of emergency transporting and treatment of the infected patients.
Meanwhile, the civil administration, armed forces and law-enforcement agencies remained active to deal with the adverse situation through enforcing the restrictive measures.